Dish Keeps Making Up New Reasons Why They Want My Boyfriend's Money

Why does Dish Network keep charging Amy’s boyfriend for his old account? It could be because he made a few payments on a deadbeat roommate’s account, and then that roommate never turned the equipment back in. But he did. It could be because the account was canceled before the contract was up, and it was his name on the contract. But it wasn’t. Dish just keeps making up reasons, and are determined to get his money one way or another.

Dish Network is giving my boyfriend and I the runaround by seemingly making new things up every time we call to have an issue resolved. This started two years ago, on June 3rd, 2010. Dish decided that it’d be nice to take some of their unearned cash straight from my boyfriend’s bank account, in the amount of $300.00. This charge was unauthorized by him, because, guess what? He isn’t even the account holder. He made a couple of one time payments using his debit card when his roommate was a bum and didn’t have the money for it, and I guess Dish thinks this means it’s okay for them to chase after him for money.

When he called Dish to dispute the charge, the customer service reps said the fee was charged as a “cancellation fee.” Another strange thing about this story: his credit, at the time, was not yet established well enough for Dish to allow an account to be made in his name under a contract. So, he didn’t make an account – his roommate did. Before he moved out, all of the bills were being sent through regular mail under his roommate’s name. There was never once a piece of correspondence addressed to my boyfriend from Dish. He also never agreed to take responsibility for this account and it’s payments.

He requested for Dish to send a copy of the reason for the amount owed, his agreement to let them automatically steal money from his bank account, and papers stating that he owns the account. Unsurprisingly, Dish never did this for him, even though they reassuringly told him they would do so. My boyfriend decided that he would try to dispute this charge through his bank, but they pretty much shrugged their shoulders and told him to tell Dish about it.

After awhile, my boyfriend pretty much gave up on the entire issue since neither party was willing to help him out. In late March of 2012, Dish hit us with a collections bill from a collections agency for the amount of $151.12. In the two year span between our last unresolved issue with Dish and this bill, they had never ever tried to contact him by phone, e-mail, or snail mail to collect the debt.

Once again, we had to step into terrible customer service representative land and dialed Dish’s number. The first representative he spoke with was on March 26th, 2012. This rep told us that the bill was for the remaining balance after the service was cancelled. She even confirmed that bills and statements for the payment were being sent to HIS ROOMMATE, at their old residence. So, once again, my boyfriend asked for the same proof as 2 years ago to show that he is responsible for making any payments for the account. The representative promised us that they would get some documents mailed to us within 7-10 days. And again, they failed to send us anything.

We called again today, May 8th, 2012, to see if they had any updates, or if they could finally step up and help us at all. The first representative had him on hold for a good 15 minutes or so, told him that the cable equipment hasn’t been returned (which it was, 2 years ago!), and transferred him to a second rep, who did nothing and transferred him to a third rep. The third rep heard his issue out, then transferred him once again, to a fourth rep, who she called “Executive Relations.” Now, the Executive Relations lady made this entire ordeal into an identity theft situation. She immediately told my boyfriend that she would not release any information in regards to the account at all because this is now an “identity theft case.” Wait a minute – we were put under the impression that he was supposed to be responsible for these charges because the account was in his name, so now why is this such an issue for them to release information to him? The previous representatives had notrouble talking to him, even though the account was not in his name.

So, very long and troublesome story short, Dish keeps lying to us, dragging their feet in making anything happen, can’t pull up proof of responsibility of payment, and pretty much suck.